A Handbook for Latin Clubs eBook

Translation

Each Love, each Venus, mourn with me!
Mourn, every son of gallantry!
The sparrow, my own nymph’s delight,
The joy and apple of her sight;
The honey-bird, the darling dies,
To Lesbia dearer than her eyes,
As the fair one knew her mother,
So he knew her from another.
With his gentle lady wrestling,
In her snowy bosom nestling;
With a flutter and a bound,
Quiv’ring round her and around;
Chirping, twitt’ring, ever near,
Notes meant only for her ear.
Now he skims the shadowy way,
Whence none return to cheerful day.
Beshrew the shades! that thus devour
All that’s pretty in an hour.
The pretty sparrow thus is dead;
The tiny fugitive is fled.
Deed of spite! poor bird!—­ah! see,
For thy dear sake, alas! for me!—­
My nymph with brimful eyes appears,
Red from the flushing of her tears.

—­Elton

CICERO

The following tribute to Cicero was written
by Catullus, the Roman
lyric poet (87-54 B.C.)